The opening press conference of the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Russia 2021™ was held in the elegant Luzhniki Stadium press room in Moscow on Thursday. The event, which coincided with the tournament’s first matchday, was attended by Fatma Samoura, FIFA Secretary General, Aleksandr Alaev, Secretary General of the RFU, and Jaime Yarza, Director of FIFA Tournaments.

On the warm welcome received…

Samoura: “We all remember being here at Luzhniki Stadium three years ago as France lifted the FIFA World Cup. Just a stone’s throw from here is the arena built for the 11th edition of the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, with a capacity of just over 4,500 – we truly hope that it will be one of the best tournaments we’ve seen.

“I would like to express our deep gratitude, on behalf of the FIFA President, of football in general and of beach soccer in particular, for the warm welcome we have received from the Russian authorities, and for the excellent level of cooperation in all matters related to this event.”

Alaev: “Thank you for the trust you’ve placed in us. I’ve got so many people to thank that I might not get finished before today’s match between the RFU and United States! For all of their support, I would particularly like to acknowledge the Moscow Sports Committee and, on a personal level, Jaime Yarza.

“As Ms Samoura noted, three years ago in this city, we witnessed the greatest World Cup in history, and we are hopeful we can also make this the best Beach Soccer World Cup ever. Covid-19 has made this a particularly difficult year. We saw how the Olympic Games took place behind closed doors, and what we lose when there are no fans in attendance, and so we’ve taken all possible measures to ensure that fans can watch games in person at this World Cup.”

On the rumours of ticket touting and possible preventative measures...

Samoura: “Of course we’ve heard the rumours of ticket touting. The only ‘silver lining’ is that the fans are really keen to attend matches and are passionate about the tournament. But at FIFA, we always try to ensure that fans buy tickets through official channels. Any such cases, or any illegal ticket purchases, whether at face value or at a higher price, will be immediately reported to the relevant authorities. The local authorities support us in stopping this unsporting behaviour. We have the same goal: a zero-tolerance policy with regard to these activities.”

Alaev: “I am in complete agreement with Ms Samoura. We have zero tolerance for these types of activities. I’d like to add that we will likely work on setting some rules, such as a limit of four tickets per person, for example. We’ll discuss this with the appropriate parties.”

On the possibility of introducing a Fan ID, similar to that used during the FIFA World Cup Russia 2018™…  Samoura: “Due to the length of the tournament and the reduced number of matches, we did not deem it appropriate to introduce another administrative step in the ticket-buying process. The pandemic already obliged us to take extra steps to make sure that fans could attend the matches.

“This is the second FIFA tournament that we have staged since the pandemic began in March 2020. The first was the Club World Cup in February in Qatar, which had a limited number of spectators, and no Fan ID was introduced then.

“We will remain vigilant, and if this is a growing trend, other host nations could possibly implement extra measures, but right now, we are confident that we, in conjunction with the work done by the security authorities, can keep it under control.”

On the Covid-19 cases in Tahiti, and the specific steps taken to keep people safe…

Samoura: “Due to the pandemic, we implemented strict health and safety measures for everyone. One of them is the compulsory use of face masks that cover the nose and mouth, which should be worn at all times and in all areas of the stadium. “We also decided that individuals such as photographers and television rights holders had to have a negative PCR test in order to access the pitch. In addition, you will have seen that, between the first and second set of matches, we cleared the stadium so that it could be properly sanitised.

“Unfortunately, despite taking all these steps, we have been informed that two teams have had positive cases, and that those individuals were isolated immediately. We are grateful to the fans, but also to the players and staff of the teams, for strictly adhering to the procedures that have been brought in.

“Beyond any steps we take, FIFA will also immediately apply any new measures implemented by the government health authorities. By setting an example by wearing face masks here today, you, members of the press, are sending a strong signal to fans coming to the stadium. We want the World Cup to be a safe place for spectators, as well as for competing teams and for all of the staff.”

Yarza: “I just wanted to add that FIFA has been working very closely with Rospotrebnadzor (Editor’s note: Russian consumer rights protection service), which also asked us to implement new measures, which we have done, so as to guarantee a safe tournament for players, delegates, referees and fans. “We are delighted with the help we’ve received from Rospotrebnadzor during this process. We are counting on them and on the cooperation of the Local Organising Committee to ensure that the tournament will be, as our Secretary General said, a safe place for all those who want to enjoy some beach soccer.”